Damned If You Do
by ScorplinginTraining
Summary: Tim is gone, but not forgotten. He still Skypes Paige everyday like clock work. So sweet. Such a good man. A fine catch. Or is he? What if Walter stumbles across some uncomfortable information about the former SEAL? It would take a genius to know what to do.
1. Chapter 1

**DAMNED IF YOU DO**

 **AN: I feel the need to abuse Timbo a little. Call it vindictive or sour grapes or whatever. What I need is feedback. Tell me if I should continue this or not. Are you open to some Tim bashing? And in the process a tiny bit of revenge on our oh-so-perfect-Paige too? I might even call Toby out in this one. Who knows? Call this a therapy fic. Call me a jerk. But in the process, just let me know if you want more.**

Walter clicked his laptop shut and laid his hand on top of it. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Did he dare tell her? Could he live with himself if he didn't? She was barely civil to him these days and their interactions were mostly limited to work-related subjects or Ralph. If he told her, would she think he was snooping? Prying into her affairs again? He cringed when that word came to the forefront of his mind. 'Affair'. Tim was having an affair. The word didn't seem adequate to convey the kind of betrayal she would feel. The bastard was cheating. Even that sentiment didn't feel strong enough. She would be crushed. Walter couldn't be the harbinger of that kind of news, could he? Not now when it appeared she didn't even _like_ him any more. That she barely tolerated him. Found him more frustrating and annoying than anything else. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples.

He'd stumbled across the information innocently enough. At least initially. He almost didn't open the email. It appeared to be sent to the wrong account by mistake. He didn't recognize the sender, but his curiosity got the better of him. Oh, boy did he wish he hadn't looked. The initial message led him to dig a bit deeper. Then as his horror and anger grew, he pried even further. It seemed that everyone's golden boy was a habitual cheater. Tim was currently juggling at least three different women. And those were just the ones Walter could find. All those long trips to San Diego and Seattle didn't just have military and medical applications. Okay, so the genius probably shouldn't have probed into the man's social media accounts or hacked his phones. Tim had at least four numbers. The son of a bitch was discreet and clever about his actions. That was for sure. Using the facial recognition software Scorpion helped develop, Walter even found the creep on several dating sites some of which were poorly disguised trolling sites for odd sexual proclivities. Apparently a lot of women were attracted to former Navy SEALs for all sorts of reasons. He shivered in disgust and cursed his eidetic memory. He almost wished it was a different Tim Armstrong, but there was absolutely no mistake.

Walter really needed advice, but he couldn't be too careful. He couldn't confide in Toby. He might as well hire a sky writer. Besides, Toby's advice had hurt more than it helped recently. Nope. He couldn't trust the behaviorist to help him with something so delicate. He would no doubt take fiendish delight in making Paige resent Walter even more and point out to her all the ways in which her boss was a failure as a human.

He and Veronica had grown closer over the past few weeks. They were both on the receiving end of Paige's distrust and condescension these days. The two of them made up the unpopular crowd in the garage. That was okay. He'd been a part of that same club most of his life. But he couldn't consult Paige's mom. She would no doubt try to skew the situation into an opportunity somehow. Try to use it to advance an agenda of her own. She couldn't help herself. Walter shook his head.

Sylvester? No one on the team was impatient with Sly these days. But he couldn't sit on a secret this big. It would make him nervous and he would blurt out all the details as soon as he saw her. The last thing Walter needed was Paige thinking he blabbed her personal business to everyone.

Cabe could keep a secret. That was never an issue. He would just be so disappointed in Walter. Again. He didn't think he could bear to hear another speech about his short-comings from someone he respected so much. The genius used to think the respect was mutual. Now he wasn't so sure. Not after the look the agent threw him when he unveiled the interloper's 'office'. Admittedly not Walter's finest moment.

Happy was out because she would want to tell the shrink. She would sit on it if he asked her to, but Walter didn't know if it was fair to ask that of her. He didn't want to make her keep secrets from Toby. He didn't want to cause yet another honesty issue in their relationship. Relationships were messy. At least that's what Paige told him when she was still trying to help him understand things. Back when they were still friends. That may have been the last time she was open with him. That conversation marked his very last chance with her. And he'd blown it sky high, of course.

But what-ifs were useless and unproductive. Walter needed to figure out how to diffuse this ticking time bomb before it detonated and left mass destruction in it's wake.


	2. Chapter 2

**DAMNED IF YOU DO**

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **AN: Thanks for the overwhelming response to my last chapter. I guess a lot of us need anger management therapy fics? I know a lot of you said the idea was OOC for Timbo, but I have an explanation cooking for that, just be patient. ;-)**

The Scorpion leader spent his entire weekend stewing over the dilemma he was facing. And he still had no idea what to do. He sincerely wished he could un-know what he knew. In his experience it was always those you least suspected. Tim had easily fooled and won over a genius behaviorist with a few compliments the first day they'd met. The rest of them hadn't stood a chance.

Walter considered and discarded many ideas and plans while agonizing and puzzling over a course of action. Should he set up a fake email account and just forward all the information to Paige? It wouldn't take her long to figure out it came from someone at the garage though. Should he ignore what he knew and hope Paige found out on her own? It could be months. And then she might be angry and hurt if she found out he knew all about it and said nothing. Should he confront the bastard himself about the facts? Tim held all the cards. He would likely bend this situation around and make it Walter's fault somehow. Play it off like another of his failed ploys to win Paige. He could take revenge and erase the former SEAL's identity from existence, at least in the cyber world. Undoubtedly the fallout from that would be catastrophic on several fronts and once again traceable back to the genius. Should he contact the other women in Tim's harem in hopes they would expose him?

Thinking of Paige as one of a wardrobe full of women, like a pair of shoes for each occasion, one for meeting the parents, one for clubbing on Saturday nights, made Walter's stomach churn. On Monday morning he was no closer to a solution. And as the current persona non grata of the team, he'd already concluded he couldn't ask for help from any of the other members. Plus, Paige was very sensitive about everyone knowing her business anyway. She'd made that very plain with her 'black mold' comparison. But the knowledge of Tim's perfidy was slowly eating him up inside.

XOXOXOXOXO

Walter was acting weird. Well, weirder than usual. Paige just couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was. It wasn't like they were hanging out after hours or sharing details about their personal lives these days, but she still knew when something was up with him.

For starters, Monday morning there was cinnamon in the coffee again. He hadn't done that in a long time because everyone else complained about it so much. But she smelled it right away when she went to pour herself a cup. And instead of looking at her with that shy, hopeful expression he always gave her when he did something nice, the one that she found adorab- _irritating_ , all his attention was riveted somewhere off in space. She had to call his name three times just to get him to acknowledge her usual terse 'good morning'. And instead of giving her the typical longing look of his, the one that screamed he missed their closeness, and that sad, little half smile, he grunted something absently and continued frowning and biting his lip, leaning on his fist like a living, breathing version of 'The Thinker' sculpture. It wasn't that she _wanted_ Walter to do all his regular things or pay special attention to her. She had Tim.

And they were very happy. Her boyfriend was simply amazing. And a grown up. And damn near identical to the ideal man she always envisioned herself marrying one day.

Her boss was on the absolute flipside. That Monday morning she could almost hear the gears grinding in Walter's head and was surprised when smoke didn't gush out of his ears. Too brainy for his own good. Obviously. That was what Tim always said when they laughed about some oddity or other that happened with the geniuses. He always said it with affection though, didn't he? Not with a hidden barb. He was too good natured to do that.

Paige caught Walter staring at her off and on for the rest of the day. Not in his normal wistful, yearning way. It definitely wasn't that she was craving his appreciation, per se. But Monday he was looking at her like he was worried about something. Like he'd discovered she had the genetic marker for some dreaded disease or other.

When she finally broke down that afternoon and asked him what was up, he gave her the fake smile and too quickly stuttered, "Oh, uh, n-nothing." In the way he had when he was nervous or hiding something. She made a mental note to ask Toby if he knew what was going on. She didn't want Walter getting the wrong ideas. Like she missed it when he confided in her and told her what was bothering him or something. He might think she still wanted to be with him.

But she was with Tim now and they were making it work. Even long-distance. She missed her boyfriend so much. Didn't she? He would tell her Walter was just being unfathomable and ridiculous and give her that dimpled smile so she knew he wasn't being mean about it. It wouldn't come across as a subtle dig or anything. But for some reason, Paige didn't want to tell Tim about what happened that day. She didn't want to hear that she should just ignore it. That is was just Walter being strange again or making another stupid attempt to sabotage their relationship. She found she wasn't in the mood to hear Tim point out to her how pathetic it was that Walter had feelings for her and was still pining for her. Again. Or even worse that he was finally moving on and forgetting about her.

XOXOXOXOXO

Brooding wasn't in his nature. When Walter saw a problem, he came up with possible outcomes and solutions and evaluated their efficacy; sometimes within seconds if lives were on the line. But he was ill-equipped for an emotionally charged situation like this one. And he couldn't consult his usual Cliff Notes about it even if she wasn't tired of his immaturity and shenanigans and barely speaking to him.

He accomplished exactly nothing all day and his brain was still a mass of whirring thoughts and buzzing questions and indecisive nonsense. His lack of productivity was slowly driving him nuts.

Then he got hit by a bolt from the blue. They were still friends, weren't they? She was always a good listener. And she understood emotional situations from a normal female perspective.

He scrolled through his list of contacts even though he had her number memorized while debating with himself over the wisdom of this approach.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Linda. It's Walter."


	3. Chapter 3

**DAMNED IF YOU DO**

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **AN: I had a slow day at work, so I was able to get this out a little sooner than expected. Yay! I really hope to get this whole story out before the next new episode makes it AU. Fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed for luck.**

 **Thanks to all the reviewers! I have laughed so hard at some of the comments and suggestions. I may incorporate a few if it fits the direction this story is gonna go. So, don't be surprised if you recognize your idea twisted around in my prose somewhere.**

" _Hello, Linda. It's Walter."_

Silence.

"Hello? Linda? Are you there?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. Hi. Yes. Yes, I'm here. It's just so…unexpected to hear from you. What has it been…?"

"Nine months, thirteen days. But that's irrelevant. When you said we were always friends, did you mean it?" Walter knew he must sound nervous and agitated, because he _was_ nervous and agitated. He tried to modulate his voice and think about how it would be perceived before he spoke. Like Paige used to tell him he should.

Amusement filled Linda's voice, "Well, yes. Of course. Is everything okay, Walter?"

Pause. "No."

"Um, sorry? Is everyone on your team alright?"

"Yes. At least we are all physically sound. As-as far as I know."

More silence.

' _Spit it out, genius_ ,' He thought. "I could really use your expertise. It's a sensitive matter… of-of…"

Linda chuckled. "Walter, my areas of expertise are speed dating and romantic movies. I'm not so bad at cooking and flower arranging either, and I plan some pretty stellar parties. I don't know what I can do for you, but I'd be glad to help in any way I can," Then she added hesitantly, "As long as it doesn't involve explosives or national security risks or something…"

It was his turn to laugh and he felt himself relax for the first time in what felt like ages. "Explosives and national security risks I can easily handle. Something like this? I'm completely out of my depth. Could you maybe meet me somewhere? If-if you're free, that is. I don't want to go into details over the phone. My coworkers have a bad habit of eavesdropping and I don't want to be overheard."

"Well, now you've got me really curious. I'm actually in your area of the city right now and I don't have anything pressing at the moment. Do you want me to meet you at that diner over by the garage?"

"Kovelsky's? Sure. Uh, when?"

"Give me twenty minutes to finish up here and get over there to it."

"It's a date. I-I mean, uh…"

He heard a soft snicker. "Don't worry. I know what you meant. See you soon."

It was illogical to be anxious. It was true he hadn't seen Linda in quite some time, but she had always been courteous. Even on their first disastrous date. And their breakup had been amicable. But still, Walter was not in the habit of sharing personal matters with anyone. To some degree, he had gotten more open with his closest friends, but that avenue didn't appear to be open to him as much these days and certainly not with this particular problem.

The Scorpion leader sat in the corner booth facing the door so he could spot Linda when she came in. He stirred his coffee inattentively while his mind scrambled around rehearsing how best to convey the facts of the situation to her without violating Paige's trust.

If Paige were still advising him, would she tell him to not try to control everything? He _really_ missed their old interactions, their old harmony, their old dynamic. Hell, he really missed her. Just her. Period. It was an inaccurate description to say he was hollow inside, like he was missing a key component, but that was exactly how it felt.

He looked up and spied Linda walking up to the hostess stand. Walter raised his hand so he could catch her eye. She smiled brightly at him, waved and headed in his direction. His mood lifted a little bit. It was surprising how nice it was to see her again. He felt like he was smiling naturally for the first time in weeks.

"Hey, you," she said. And when he rose to greet her, she leaned in and gave him a friendly hug. He froze at first. It had been a long time since someone touched him and he'd grown unaccustomed to it again. But when he forced himself to loosen up and return the affectionate gesture, it felt…pleasant.

"Hello," He said as they sat down. Reminding himself it was polite to make small talk for a few minutes no matter how excruciating or how much he just wanted to get to the point of their meeting, he asked her how she had been doing. For a few minutes she caught him up on the events of her life. Apparently she had started seeing someone else.

Walter was happy for her and sincerely hoped the man understood what a wonderful person Linda was. When he expressed that thought to her, she smiled in thanks and reached across the table to squeeze one of his hands. "It'll be your turn one of these days. You'll see. We don't want you to become ferret chow, right?"

They shared a laugh then she asked, "Now, why don't you tell me what this is all about?"

Walter had to hold off for a few minutes while the waitress took his and Linda's orders. She grinned at him when he chose the fermented fish.

Oddly feeling at ease after the small talk, Walter began his story. He had to stop and start a few times to keep the events and the timeline in order. He was uncomfortable and had difficulty meeting her eyes when he explained to her the reasons he couldn't tell Paige himself, but Linda was a sympathetic listener. She didn't interrupt him except to ask questions for clarity or indicate she heard and she didn't pry into things he wasn't ready to explain. It was an unbelievable relief to be able to talk to someone about everything. So much so, that he found himself spilling out his frustration with his lack of emotional maturity and some of his actions and he even touched on some of the hurt and loneliness he'd been feeling. But he shut that down pretty quickly. Fortunately, nothing seemed to shock or bother Linda. Before Paige came into his life, it wasn't unusual for Walter to go a couple of days without saying a word, living his life almost solely in his head sometimes. Today he said more words in a row in one conversation than he had in a long time, and it made him feel lighter somehow as if the words had piled up and weighed him down over time.

When he finally paused for breath and his eyes met hers, he found warmth and understanding there. In the recent past he had seen many expressions on his friends' faces. Exasperation, pity, censure, annoyance, irritation, worry, but not this. It felt like he might actually have someone on his side for a change. Well, someone without an agenda.

Linda took one of his hands in hers, leaned across the table and set her other palm against his cheek. He shut his eyes and let himself bask in the relief for an instant.

XOXOXOXOXO

Paige spent an extra half hour on paperwork after everyone had gone for the day. It was sometimes easier to get it done with fewer distractions.

Before Toby left with Happy to go taste wedding cake samples and pick out designs for their own, she remembered to ask the doc if he'd noticed something was going on with Walter. The shrink acted evasive when he gave his noncommittal answer, but it may have been he was just distracted and eager to make his appointment at the bakery.

Walter had taken off earlier with a hasty 'See you tomorrow' and no explanation as to where he was headed. The liaison was still bothered by his strange behavior when she finished her work and told Ralph to gather his things. It was in the back of her mind when she locked up their headquarters for the night and when she phoned in a take out order for dinner. And she was still trying to make sense of it all when she stopped by Kovelsky's to pick up her food.

Telling her son to stay in the car and that she would be right back, Paige walked into the restaurant and approached the carry out register. Making sure to include a generous tip on her card, a by-product of her years of depending on tips, she paid the tab then waited while the hostess went to pack up her order. Her thoughts were still full of Walter as she glanced around, so at first she believed she might be imagining things when she saw him in the corner booth where the three of them always used to sit. But it didn't take her long to realize it really was him. And he was there with some blonde woman who's back was angled toward the door. They were holding hands, heads intimately close together, unaware of anyone else around them. And the woman was touching his face. A sudden, crushing wave of jealousy and hurt swamped her. It almost felt like, well… like she'd caught him cheating. Which was completely ridiculous. Insane.

Breathless and inexplicably fighting back tears, Paige almost rudely snatched the bag from the hostess' hands, mumbled an incoherent 'thanks' and bolted for the door.


	4. Chapter 4

DAMNED IF YOU DO

CHAPTER 4

 **AN: And away we go! Here's my next installment. Writing this has really been helpful, but reading everyone's thoughts and reviews has been like group therapy! Thanks everyone! We'll get through this whole Tim thing together.**

On Tuesday everyone at Scorpion was acting weird _except_ Walter.

Toby and Happy were huddled up talking in hushed voices and harsh whispers all day their eyes darting back and forth worriedly between Walter and Paige.

Sylvester would occasionally join the doc and the mechanic at one of their desks, wringing his hands and contributing a few quiet words here and there that Paige couldn't quite make out. And he was blatantly avoiding ending up in a room alone with either her or Walter. When she went to the refrigerator to get her lunch at the same time the mathematician was getting a soft drink, he muttered a few incomprehensible words about forgetting something then made an abrupt departure out of the kitchen area as if she was leprous. That was when she noticed Sly was also keeping himself on the opposite side of the garage from their boss at all times. It was like a bizarre square dance where only one partner knew the sequence of the steps.

Paige would have confronted her coworkers about their peculiar actions if she wasn't feeling so out of sorts and acting out of character as well. For some reason, she'd dressed with extra care that morning. Even though it was a little chilly out, she decided to wear one of her flirty little mini skirts that she knew made her legs look miles long. She'd taken more time than usual with her hair and cosmetics too almost making Ralph and the rest of the carpool late for school. Her smiles were too bright, her comments were over-the-top cheerful and she kept way too busy sneaking covert glances at Walter analyzing his every word and action.

Was he still in love with her or did he already move on with someone else? Why would that thought bother her so much? She'd moved on with Tim. Walter sure seemed happier all day. Less burdened. Less stressed in general. Isn't this what she wanted? She wanted him to accept he'd lost his chance to be with her, right? After all, he'd tortured her for months giving her hope one minute then pushing her away the next. So what if he'd been scared and out of his depth? He'd tried speed dating! And that eventually led to a relationship with someone else! A woman couldn't wait forever. That ship had sailed. Paige was with _Tim_ now. She was happy with Tim. She and Tim were in lov… Or maybe Tim was in love by himself? Where did that leave Paige exactly?

She looked up when she heard Walter's text tone. He picked up his phone and read the message. His face lit up in a delighted smile and he chuckled to himself before firing off a quick reply. Paige's heart plummeted all the way to her favorite ankle boots.

XOXOXOXOXO

Walter was oblivious to the undercurrents flowing around him all day. While the knowledge of Paige's philandering boyfriend was still upsetting, he was much more optimistic. He decided the old adage was true. A burden shared _was_ lighter. He was finally able to put it aside and focus on work and he was much more productive as a result.

Thanks in large part to Linda. She had to leave the previous night before they could come up with a solid plan, but she promised she would think about what to do. Then she asked him for a favor in return before she left. Her boyfriend got called out of town for a few days because of a work emergency of some kind, so she asked Walter if he would mind accompanying her to a co-worker's wedding Tuesday evening. The bride was someone she wasn't particularly close with, but she felt obligated to go and she said she hated going to events like that by herself. Walter readily agreed. His evenings were mostly free these days. She said they could alleviate boredom at the reception by brainstorming ideas for the Tim debacle. It would be mutually beneficial. That kind of efficiency always pleased him.

Walter received a text from Linda early in the afternoon. It read, "Hope ur NOT having a blast today! LOL c u at 6?" She really was delightful.

XOXOXOXOXO

They'd caught an easy case that day. In this instance, that meant no one's life was in active peril and there was a minimum of property damage caused by the Scorpion crew because most of the work could be done from the garage. Someone had hacked into the Los Angeles public school's computer system and was wreaking havoc with everything from student records and test scores to teacher salaries to parent/teacher emails to food supply orders for the cafeteria. The culprit turned out to be a disgruntled fifteen year old genius. It took the cyclone considerable time to find the girl and clean up all the cyber messes she'd made.

After the hacker was in custody, Walter made a joke that he should have hired her instead. Paige sighed and looked at Walter out of the corner of one eye trying to gage his mood. If he was making jokes again, that had to mean something, didn't it? Did this new person in his life encourage him to be funny like she used to? Because of the earlier text, she already knew the woman could make him laugh. Why was she torturing herself? What difference did it make? She. Was. With. Tim.

Even though the case was easier than most, Paige still had a mountain of paperwork to handle. Anything involving government institutions always brought reams of red tape and useless forms to complete. It didn't help that she was distracted after Walter announced at five o'clock that he had a 'social obligation' and needed to get cleaned up.

A second date? Already? Well, weren't they eager to spend time together?! She forced herself to focus on the task in front of her. Paige just wanted to go home and take something for the headache now throbbing at her temples. Oh, and Skype Tim, of course.

A little over thirty minutes later, Paige heard Walter's footsteps on the stairs closely followed by a wolf whistle from Toby.

"What's with the monkey suit, big brain? Going to a funeral or something?" Toby asked.

Paige's head shot up in time to see Walter descend the rest of the stairs. She thought he said 'butt out' but she couldn't hear the reply her boss gave the shrink over the pounding of her heart and the roar of her pulse in her ears. It seemed like she hadn't seen him dressed formally in forever and she couldn't wrench her eyes away from the sight. Simply put, he was _gorgeous_. Paige knew she was staring, but she couldn't shake herself out of her stupor as she watched him. He was perfectly, heart-stoppingly handsome even though his dark hair was still slightly damp and his tie was a little crooked… and he didn't even spare her a glance as he was heading out the door to be with another woman.

Was he doing this on purpose to upset her? Was he trying to make her jealous? No, Walter didn't interpret straight forward emotions very well. Cancelling reservations and undermining her boyfriend was more his immature brand of sabotage. It wouldn't occur to him to play with her feelings like that.

Oh… hell.

All at once, a horrible thought crossed her mind. Would Paige manipulate Walter's feelings like that? Her memory suddenly played back with high definition clarity every time she'd kissed or embraced Tim right in front of the genius as if rubbing his nose in his missed opportunity. She'd flirted and canoodled and made sure Walter had seen. For months. Even after she _knew_ he loved her. And then the veteran's ball. She cringed. Had she bought that dress with Tim in mind or to drive Walter out of his mind? If it was all for Tim, why did she get ready at the garage in the genius's private living space? She remembered the weight of Walter's eyes on her that night and the satisfaction she felt walking away from him. What kind of a person did that make her? Was her brand of revenge any more mature? Or was it just more subtle?

She buried her face in her hands.

XOXOXOXOXO

Walter hated weddings as a rule. In his mind they usually consisted of an exorbitant amount of money frivolously wasted on things like cake and flowers that sometimes lasted longer than the marriage itself. But as he and Linda sat at the reception, he decided he wasn't bothered by this one too much. It was small and tasteful and therefore fairly inoffensive.

Linda tried to get him to dance a couple of times, once with her and once with a friend of hers. He declined both times. Perhaps it was illogical, but Walter couldn't imagine dancing with anyone but Paige even though he wasn't sure he would ever get the opportunity again. That's what Ralph thought and he was ruefully inclined to agree.

"I'm telling you. My friend Suzanne is really into you. Are you sure you want to pass her up?" Linda asked, looking with amused expectation at the genius across from her.

Walter grimaced before grumbling, "I'm not here to pick up women. If you've finished having fun at my expense, can we please get back to figuring out what I should do about this stupid Tim situation?"

"Fine. Spoil sport. But you and Suze would have been really cute together," Linda teased then continued, "Okay. I've been thinking about this all day. What if we catfished your boy Tim?" She paused eyeing him as if he should be impressed by her brilliance.

Beginning to think his friend had imbibed too much champagne, Walter said, "First of all, he's not _my_ anything. And second of all, how could using Siluriformes help us? I mean, they are both bottom feeders, but I don't see…"

Compressing her lips together trying to prevent bursting into giggles, she said, "No, silly. _Catfishing_." When he shook his head in confusion, she patiently explained, "Really? You've never heard of luring someone into a relationship using a fake online profile or an avatar? You really did need my expertise on this. Honey, I'm a modern dating guru. I've heard it ALL."


	5. Chapter 5

**DAMNED IF YOU DO**

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **AN: Here we go... I think I've tortured poor Paige enough now. I still love her, I'm just frustrated with her treatment of all the geniuses this season. I'll have to watch the Christmas episode again if I need to get properly mad in order to write the next chapter. But the thought is painful. Chapter 6 will be the big explosion, then there may be one more to wrap things up.**

 **Thanks for all the comments, ideas and reviews. This story and all the commiseration has helped me process. I included 'early morning Walter' as a treat for those of us who think that view needs to happen on the show. ;-)**

"I want you to know I'll make sure you're perfectly safe, Linda. I promise. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable doing this. Some of these sites are rather… unsavory and exploitive to say the least," Walter said, doing his best to be reassuring.

"It's all fake. It's not like I'm giving out my real name or location or any real contact information, right? And even if the pervs were smart and savy enough to track down the computer, it's here at the garage with contractors for Homeland Security. It doesn't get much safer than that. Oooo, this one wants me to specify my measurements and include photos! And they want my cup size?! Put down that I'm a thirty-six double D!" she giggled.

Walter glanced at her skeptically, lifting one eyebrow.

"What?" The late hour was making her feel a little brainless and she was finding everything funny. The two of them had gone back to the garage after the wedding reception to work on the catfishing scheme together. They sat side by side on the red sofa, dress shoes kicked off and feet propped on the coffee table. Linda held a bowl of popcorn in her lap and Walter had his laptop open on his.

"I can accurately calculate mass and circumference just by looking, you know."

"Alright, alright. You're no fun. We're just going to grab pictures off the internet anyway. It's not like we're going to use real photos of me. And you've looked? Since when?" Linda slapped Walter's shoulder playfully and her mouth dropped open in false shock.

The genius had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "I may be a genius, but at the end of the day, I'm still basically a typical male animal." He cleared his throat. "Okay, list your criteria for an ideal mate. For this site, you'll have to stick with the, uh, physical attributes." Walter was beginning to think things might get somewhat awkward before they were done with this project.

oOoOoOoOoO

Linda woke with a little groan, rubbing her neck. At first she didn't recognize where she was. But as she stretched the kinks out and the couch creaked underneath her, she remembered and smiled to herself. She'd learned more about Walter O'Brien in the last two days than she had in the weeks they'd spent dating. The two of them had stayed up impossibly late, or early depending on one's perspective, setting up the fake profiles and laughing over exaggerations they threw in just for fun.

She must have fallen asleep. Walter brought her a couple of pillows and covered her with a blanket at some point. He was such a good guy. He deserved someone who could appreciate him, quirks and all. Linda sincerely hoped Paige would see that a diamond in the rough was still a diamond and just as valuable. Yes, she was well aware the genius adored his beautiful office manager. Otherwise he would just tell her the bald facts about what her boyfriend was doing in his blunt, straightforward way. But instead he was tiptoeing around it so worried about how she would feel, and what she would think of him if she found out he knew.

Linda paired people up for a living and she usually knew right away which ones were meant for each other. Walter and Paige might have lost their way for a time, but from the hints she'd gotten and from all the things he'd let slip, she could tell they would be very good together if they got out of their own way and told everyone else to butt out. ...And if they could permanently lose the huge, hulking, blonde obstacle and all the baggage that came with him.

"Oh. Uh, You're awake." Walter said, sounding surprised. He was coming out of the kitchen holding a mug in his hand. Linda had to smirk at the sight of the genius in jammies, well, pajama pants and a t-shirt, barefoot with his hair sticking up on one side. "I just made coffee. Would you like some?"

"What's left of me is sort of awake. And no, thanks. I'd better get going. If I don't touch base, Thomas is going to think I'm the one cheating. I already have to be careful how I go about telling him I had an accidental sleepover with an old boyfriend." Linda was trying to slide her feet back into her monstrously uncomfortable heels.

Walter's eyes grew round. "I-I didn't want to cause trouble. Do you need me to talk to him?"

She laughed and shrugged, wincing when her shoes pinched her sore toes. "I'm kidding. He trusts me. I'll just tell him the truth."

"I've been told that's the basis for any lasting relationship. Would you, um, like a more comfortable pair of shoes to wear home? Paige keeps some here for when her feet get cold or tired." He set his coffee down and rooted around under the liaison's desk, his voice muffled when he stated, "I will never understand why women torture themselves by wearing footwear that would be better suited to a creature with three toes and shortened calf muscles." He unearthed a pair of faux fur lined slip-ons and held them out.

Taking them gratefully, Linda said, "Being a little crippled is acceptable because they make our legs look great. My feet thank you. I'll get these back to you." After she'd exchanged shoes, she shuffled to the door and said over her shoulder, "You'd better keep me posted on the Terrible Tim situation. I expect regular updates."

"Of course."

Cocking her head to one side and narrowing her eyes as if evaluating Walter, she asked because she couldn't resist teasing him, "Are you sure you don't want Suzanne's number? She's pretty great, you know."

He threw her a slightly peevish look, "No doubt. But I don't think so."

"Sorry. Occupational hazard. I'm always trying to hook people up. I see single people as a challenge sometimes. I'll see ya later, smartie pants!" And with a little wave she was out the door leaving Walter to go back upstairs and get ready for the day ahead.

They were both too tired to notice that she'd forgotten to take her own shoes with her.

XOXOXOXOXO

Paige felt like she hadn't slept a wink. What little sleep she did get was plagued with vague dreams of chasing something that remained constantly just beyond her reach. It probably didn't help that she'd groused at Tim during their nightly Skype call. It was like everything about him was irritating to her all of the sudden. That made her feel guilty. She'd apologized to him before pleading a headache, which was the truth. Then she'd signed off early and went to bed just to lay awake tossing and turning unable to quiet her restless thoughts. Almost all of those thoughts centered around one stubborn, clueless, immature, aggravatingly beautiful man. And it wasn't Tim.

Her brain felt like a wet sponge on Wednesday morning. She dropped a protesting and groggy Ralph off at the Goldberg's a full hour earlier than normal promising him an early night. And she headed to the garage with a purpose. The evening before was the first time she was able to see so clearly the faults on both sides of their troubles, and Paige and Walter were going to clear the air before anyone else showed up for work. She thanked her lucky stars her mother had found another place to squat and wasn't staying in the camper anymore.

When she was pulling into the parking area behind the garage, another car was turning in the opposite direction out of the lot. In the predawn light, she was unable to see the driver clearly. But the bottom dropped out of her stomach when she realized it was a woman. A blonde woman. She pressed her forehead against the coolness of her car's window trying to calm down while sick dread filled her. It couldn't be. Could it? He wouldn't be comfortable enough yet, would he? Or maybe Walter had been dating this woman longer than Paige thought. Was that what the rest of the team was hiding?

Forcing herself to get out of her car and go inside, she was hoping against hope she was wrong about the circumstances. Paige could no longer pretend that evidence Walter had been 'intimate' with this person wouldn't be devastating. There was no more room for rationalizing.

Taking a deep breath, she walked in the front door. And immediately wished she hadn't. Closing her eyes for an instant against the onslaught of acute jealousy and pain, she fervently willed the very real evidence to just disappear. However it was still there when she looked again and found her eyes cataloging every detail without her permission. Apparently, the two got quite cozy on the red couch together. A blanket and two pillows were tossed carelessly aside. Walter's jacket was flung across the back of one of the chairs. On the coffee table was a shared popcorn bowl with a few kernels left at the bottom and two glasses, ice long melted, were standing in puddles of condensation at their bases. His and hers dress shoes were haphazardly piled together beneath the same table. And beside his curled up tie, there was a neat little pile of hair pins as if they'd been slowly removed one by one and placed precisely next to each other.

Hot tears blinded Paige as she slowly backed out the door.

She had no idea how she got back home, but when she did, she indulged in a good, long overdue cry. She slowly brought herself back under control tucking the wrenching emotions back inside, tamping them down. How had everything gotten so _stupid_? She briefly considered quitting her job, but she knew even as she was thinking that it was a coward's way out. And Paige Dineen was no coward. Repeatedly she told herself the situation was probably for the best. But she didn't believe that either. At least it was over now. If Walter had truly moved on maybe she could begin to heal too. It would be better than covering over the hurt with a 250 pound Navy SEAL bandage. One thing was for sure, it was time to let Tim go.

Feeling bruised and exhausted, Paige said a stiff 'good morning' to her coworkers when she got back to the garage and she buried herself in work as quickly as possible. At least all the 'evidence' had been cleared away when she walked in this time and to her further relief, Walter had yet to put in an appearance. She just needed a little longer to school her reaction to seeing him. Deciding she needed comfort in every way she could provide it for herself, she removed her work shoes and rummaged around beneath her desk looking for her slippers only to discover they were missing. Had she taken them home...?

Oh, HELL no! Feeling her ire rise to the boiling point when she remembered the high heels under the coffee table. If Walter had loaned them to his... to that...

Paige shot up from her desk, eyes blazing. Ignoring Toby's sing-song voice stating the obvious, that someone was in trou-ble, she stomped up the stairs. Walter O'Brien was a dead man!


	6. Chapter 6

**DAMNED IF YOU DO**

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **AN: Here's the final installment. I let Toby have it a little in this chapter and Sylvester kinda got thrown under the bus with him even though I'm not frustrated with him. He was collateral damage for the story. Sorry, Sly. And I'm issuing an angst warning, so beware.**

 **I hope everyone has a very Happy 2017!**

"What the hell were you thinking, Walter?! Of all the stupid, selfish, backward, immature bullshit you've pulled lately this…this caps it! I've had _enough_!" An irate Paige stood before a befuddled Walter positively quivering with rage.

All the other times she'd been angry with him, he had a pretty good idea what he'd done. He gulped. This time she was more furious than he'd ever seen her and he had no clue why the full force of her temper was aimed at him. Both barrels. And the safety disengaged. Had she found out about the catfishing? Or was this about him digging into Tim's extracurricular activities?

The genius held up his hands in what was meant to be a placating gesture, but it didn't help to calm the situation. "Could you maybe be a bit more specific?" He asked hesitantly.

"My shoes, Walter! Where are they?"

 _That_ was what she was mad about?

The genius did the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life. He laughed.

And he watched as her face turned impossibly redder. "How _dare_ you! You think this is _funny_?! You bring your little, blonde tart home and sleep with her all over the garage? Fine! You're a grown man! Do whatever gets you off! It's none of my business! Why should I care?! But then you give that… that… _slut_ my shoes!"

"Hang on a minute…" Walter started, more confused than ever and starting to get mad himself.

"You and I have talked about boundaries! This is _way_ over the line!"

"Wait. Just wait. I have no idea what you're talking about. I loaned… _loaned_ your shoes to Linda this morning. And we are _not_ having sex all over the garage or anywhere else for that matter. She has a boyfriend. She's…she's helping me with a, uh, …project and she fell asleep on the couch. Sorry I let her wear your damn shoes. I'd buy you a dozen more pairs if it would make you happy, but we both know _nothing_ I do makes you happy anymore. No matter what I try to do!"

"Ooh. Linda, _again_ , is it? Well that certainly explains why you got so comfortable so quick. And a 'project'? Is that what you're calling it these days?" Paige sneered, her lip curled in contempt, fists doubled up at her sides.

Walter shut his eyes and clenched his jaw trying and failing to bring himself under control. "Yes. That's what we call it, because that's all it was. But you were right the first time. It _is_ none of your business! And since you're the one who hates labels so much, exactly what criteria would you use before you call someone a 'tart' or a 'slut'?! Hmm? The fact that she's female and has sex. Or the fact that she's sleeping with _me_?" Walter crossed his arms and glared at Paige.

"Oh, so you admit it, then?! You _did_ sleep with her."

He'd finally hit his limit and as his eyes narrowed, the words tumbled out of him like an avalanche; just as unstoppable and every bit as cataclysmic. "In the literal since, yes! We slept in the same vicinity for a few, a _very_ few hours. But if you'd like to know what the definition of a real 'slut' is, why don't you take a closer look at your perfect boyfriend! Mr. Wonderful has been screwing half the female population of the greater LA area… the whole time you've been dating!" Then his mouth snapped shut and his eyes widen as he realized what he'd let slip.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Paige hissed, her voice deadly quiet and therefore much more dangerous.

"Forget it," Walter attempted, turning to walk away from her.

But Paige grabbed him by the elbow and gritted out, "Oh, no, you don't! You're going to tell me what you meant. Now."

Trying to gather himself, he slowly turned back to her. "That was it. That was the project. I was trying to find a way to tell you without _me_ telling you. You aren't very receptive to me these days, so I had Linda trying to catch him in the act."

Forgetting she had made the decision to cut Tim loose that very morning, her lips tightened into a thin line and she shook her head. "I'm done with this! With you! Is this another one of your dumbass plots to ruin my relationship?! Well, I won't have it! I'm gone!" Paige whirled toward the door, but it was Walter's turn to grab her arm which she promptly snatched back.

"Wait. Just wait. I found out by accident. I have proof!"

He turned his laptop around on the counter to show her, but when he opened the folder marked 'TNT', an acronym for 'Tim in Trouble', where he'd saved all his proof, it was empty. Typing frantically, he scrolled through his deleted email… and couldn't find the original message. Not a trace. He logged into the trolling websites. And couldn't find Tim's profiles. Looking desperate, his eyes pleaded for her to believe him, "It was all here. I swear. But now I can't find it. I can probably go back and get it off of the hard drive, but it would take some time."

Already tired, angry and overwrought, tears flooded Paige's eyes as she shook her head and tried to leave again. "You're incredible, you know that?" She threw over her shoulder.

Happy's words from all those months ago chose that precise moment to play back in Walter's head. 'You're so scared of an outcome where you lose her altogether that you're going to lose her altogether.' She was absolutely right. He had ensured it.

Before Paige could make it to the stairs, Toby put in an appearance, voluntarily walking into the field of land mines that was the loft. "Hold on, kids. Let's everyone just take a breath here."

Walter walked over, yanked the intercom's connection out of the wall and dropped the offending device to the floor. "Your unfortunate habit of listening in on private conversations stops today."

"I didn't need an intercom to hear that conversation. Your voices were turned all the way up to max volume. They could have heard you in Cleveland. But that doesn't matter." Toby was cowering slightly, eyes darting between the two combatants. "This whole thing? It may be a little bit my fault."

"What do you mean?" "What are you talking about?" Paige and Walter said simultaneously, looking at the psychiatrist like he was crazy.

"It was supposed to serve as aversion therapy. I thought if Walter could see what it would be like if Tim was a really awful person who treats you horribly, when he found out the truth, he could accept your relationship with Tim is a good thing. And you made the right choice. And some of the tension around here would finally dissipate. I never dreamed it would go this far, or he would confront you with it."

"Oh, Toby, what did you _do_?" Paige asked sounding defeated and exasperated while Walter stood unmoving, a scowl marring his features.

Cringing and drawing a breath in through his teeth, Toby confessed, "I sent the original email. It was a phishing email. So, when Walt opened it, we knew."

"We?" Walter said softly.

"Me and Sly? I needed his help with the hacking, so I convinced him it would lessen the tension among the team. You know how it amps up his anxiety …anyway, as you dug into sites and your searches got more," Toby swallowed, "…specific, we, uh, added a few things here and there for you to find. We may have gotten a little carried away."

"And Happy knew?" Walter rasped. It was almost a whisper.

"Not until after we did it. An accessory after the fact, I guess." Toby answered.

"And," The genius sighed, "Cabe too?"

"No. There was no need to involve him. We didn't intend for it to get this far, Walt. We remotely deleted everything we could find yesterday. I figured you would come to me long before this. Ask me what I thought you should do. How you should handle it. Why didn't you come to me?"

"Why would I?" He spat, the words full of venom.

"I don't know, maybe because I'm a brilliant behaviorist and a genius psychiatrist? Or because I'm your friend?"

Paige's heart broke because Walter's quiet laugh spoke volumes. "My friend? Can you really say that? You don't sabotage yourself anymore. So, what? You've decided to sabotage me instead? At first, I thought maybe it was because you found out I was Happy's husband, but it started before that, didn't it?"

"Walt. Listen…"

"That's all I've done is listen to everyone tell me what I should or shouldn't do. But you most of all. You tried to convince me for over a year to acknowledge I had feelings for Paige. You begged me to tell her how I felt. Compiling data and spouting psychobabble. And the minute I understood. Accepted. Decided to finally take the risk? You told me to shut up. Stay quiet and accept she chose the better man. I thought it bothered me when Cabe told me I was selfish to tell Paige I loved her." Paige uttered a little gasp, but Walter didn't react. "But this? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"It's not as bad as all that…" Toby tried.

"I need everyone out. Take the day. Go."

"Walter…?" Paige held a hand out toward him, feeling helpless and needing to connect with him.

"Just go. Both of you. Tell the others. …Please."

"Look, 197, I never meant…"

"GET _OUT_! NOW!"

XOXOXOXOXO

Ralph was settled for the night with a very contrite Sylvester gladly supervising. His own guilt and his nervousness about the state of Walter and the relationships within the team were slightly alleviated by doing a favor for the liaison.

Paige had spent the whole rest of the day worrying over and thinking about everything that happened. She drove back to the garage just wanting to check on Walter. To make sure he didn't do something reckless like he tended to do when he was upset to this magnitude.

She almost didn't see him in the dimness of the loft. But his outline was just visible in the shadows over by the couch. He slouched on the far end, leaning one elbow on the arm rest, forehead pressed to his palm. Afraid to switch on the lamp because she couldn't bear to see the same shattered look of betrayal and hurt on his face she'd seen that morning, Paige approached cautiously and sat beside him, not daring to touch him.

"It was never about the shoes, you know," She said.

Walter's muted snort was the only indication he heard.

"And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. Or about Linda. It hurt me more than I thought possible when I thought you'd moved on with another woman and I lashed out. Forgive me?"

"I don't have much of a choice. I love you." He shrugged, "Sorry I didn't tell you before. I had some… opposition."

"You did tell me. When you were in space. You just didn't remember. I would have reminded you, but I had some opposition too."

She saw him nod in the dark. "Toby. Of course. I did remember eventually. But I didn't know for sure if you were actually present when I said it."

They sat in silence for a time then he rubbed his palm over his face and said, "Sorry I yelled." Paige hated the hollow sadness in his voice.

"I don't blame you. You had the right." After another silent pause, she told him, "I love you too, you know that? I forgot for a little while. Probably because I was trying so hard to love Tim. …And you were being such an immature ass."

Walter chuckled a little at that, "I guess I was. I am. I probably I need to work on that. Wait. _Trying_ to love...?"

"Not anymore. Before your big reveal about my 'slutty' boyfriend, I had already decided I needed to end things. I had to wait until our usual call time to tell him. The final nail in the coffin happened when I told him what Toby did. He laughed. He thought it was funny. I didn't like that. It made me realize being with him made me see you guys differently. I decided I didn't like that either."

"So it's done?"

"It's done."

"And you're okay?"

"Now you're asking if I'm happy?" She smiled wryly even though he couldn't see. "But, yes. I'm fine."

Walter nodded. "I've already acknowledged I need to work on the ass thing."

"You will need to work on that if we ever want to be anything. Together, I mean. We both have some things to work on."

Walter's hand crept toward hers and he wrapped his fingers around her hand making her heart stutter just like every other time he'd reached out of his own volition to touch her.

Then after a few minutes, he exhaled harshly and shifted toward her, "What am I going to do? About Scorpion? About this mess with Toby? And Sly?" Paige could hear the agony and indecision in his voice.

"Walter, all families are dysfunctional at times. You don't toss them out and start over. You talk it out. You forgive each other. You set boundaries. You try to do better. I know they're both feeling terrible. And family is worth the work. Scorpion is worth it."

"Will you help me?"

"Always. And we'll get there."

"And you and me?"

"Us too. But let's not rush it. It's a learn-as-we-go process and we need to rebuild our friendship first, our trust, and that open communication we've talked about. Then we'll see what happens next."

"Okay."

They sat in the dark holding hands and just listening to each other breath, glad to have finally found a patch of common ground. A place to begin again.

 **AN: P.S. I wanted to write in a kiss for them SO bad! I'm so ready for some PDA with these two. But I couldn't make it fit with the story. I feel like they are going to have to start at square one and rebuild everything from scratch now. :-(**


End file.
